Something I Can Never Have

Solitary Tales #0.5

by Travis Thrasher

If you're a fan of The Solitary Tales, then you will enjoy this story about Pastor Jeremiah Marsh and his wife Heidi. If you're a fan of Travis Thrasher's ISOLATION, then you will like the dread and terror inside this short little tale. If you liked GHOSTWRITER by Travis Thrasher, then you'll probably like this creepy little novella.

If you haven't read any of those yet, well . . . beware.

This story serves as a prequel of sorts to The Solitary Tales, or as a B-side as Travis calls it. It tells the story of Jeremiah Marsh in his first role as a youth pastor at a church in the Chicago suburbs. Even though Jeremiah and Heidi are newlyweds, something is wrong.

As you will discover, something is terribly wrong . . .

Genres: Christian Fiction, Horror

45 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 11, 2011

About the author

New York Times bestselling author Travis Thrasher has written over 75 books, from fiction in a variety of genres to memoirs and children’s books. He has collaborated with filmmakers, musicians, athletes, comedians and pastors. Travis lives with his wife and three daughters in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Reviews

[Matt Schiariti · Rating 4 out of 5]

..warning..if you haven't read the first two installments of the Solitary Tales, go and read them now, THEN pick up and read Something I Can Never Have..

As Travis Thrasher calls it, this is a 'b-side' to go along with Solitary and Gravestone. It's a prequel novella that focuses on Jeremiah Marsh, the creepy preacher from Solitary, NC. It's different in form than those other two books in that it's presented as a series of letters from Marsh to his Doctor back home in Solitary. See, Marsh apparently grew up in Solitary, left, then as we all know, came back...

These letters are creepy..creepy and disturbing. As each new one presents itself, Jeremiah goes deeper and deeper into madness.

This is a great way of fleshing out some of the characters of the Solitary universe. Since the Solitary Tales are all told in the first person via Chris Buckley, it's interesting to see a little back story of another major player in the series through their own eyes.

Here's hoping we get some more of these featuring other main characters! If anything it would make the wait for Temptation slightly easier ;)

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Something I Can Never Have" was a great short book! It was really interesting to find out more about the creepy Jeremiah Marsh and what was going on in his head.

I already wanted to read "Temptation" (book three in the Solitary Tales), but after finishing this book I want to read it even more! Plus, this book just added more questions to the series... Hopefully "Temptation" will answer some of my questions! :)

*I purchased a Kindle copy of this book. I was not required to review it. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

[Joshua Rollins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disturbingly delightful! This short e-book a B-side story of The Solitary Tales gives you an insight to a dark and dangerous man with a tormented past, through the letters he has written to a mysterious Doctor. Starting off as a doubting youth pastor, Jerimiah slides down a slippery slope of nelgect and obsession brought on by his past and ultimately becomes a monster. Who is he really and what is really real to him? Find out in Something I can never have...

[Dina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a behind the scenes type of book and gives us a glimpse into creepy Pastor Marsh...and why he has become the creepy guy he is. Sets the tone for Temptation~the third installment of the Solitary Tales.

[Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeremiah is really really messed up! This short story is amazing, it left me wanting more and brought a lot of questions too!
Now I'm ready for reading Temptation and see how Chris is going to manage this crazy character.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I can understand what makes Pastor Marsh so definitely creepy!

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read and helped me see how this character becomes the evil person he is in the books.

[Moriah Leech · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short 50 page…. Collection of letters? It’s been years since I read the Solitary Tales. So perhaps I’m missing the context. But this seemed very random.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I finished book 2 of the Solitary series, I grabbed this kindle only, short book and read it while doing aerobics in one sprint. Spooky. I usually am not effected by books to the point I could feel like I might have nightmares. Maybe since I was not feeling up to par, this book set my skin crawling. This is the background story concerning Jeremiah Marsh, the major fiend so far in the procession of 2 of the tales. While reading this there was a blur between unreality and reality. So hard to figure whether any of the letters were just evil imaginations which would lead to total give over to offerings to darkness in the town of Solitary? Or were they plain killings done to anyone chosen by satanic imaginings this monster creates in lunacy? He seems to feel he has a twisted justification for all of it. Perhaps in his twisted leanings his whole being has been given over? A wicked downward spiral any way it is looked at. He left the darkness of solitary, but came back desiring the former decadence, Eerie......

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came off better than I anticipated. Travis is really thinking this series out. An important side story (B Side if you remember those old 45 rpm singles) to the SOLITARY TALES SERIES that develops the character of Jeremiah Marsh. I love that Travis had the forethought to consider his main tale has been told in the first person witness, here it's presented as a series of letters and we get to read the developing madness.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Something I Can Never Have" is a really cool "B Side" on a character from Thrasher's Solitary Tales Series. It's the background on Pastor Jeremiah Marsh. In the format of letters written to a friend from the past, it answers some questions (if you've read the Solitary Tales Series) and proposes some others. Creepy cool.

[Patrick Cox]

Jeremiah Marsh is a troubled man taking sides with the demons. This short book is a series of Letters that Jeremiah is writing about the struggles with his current life, marriage and his past.